菠菜肉煎饼 Spinach Patties

This delicious low carb dish is easy to make. I did not measure with spoons or cups with the ingredients that I used. You can make with seasonings that fit your taste.

Basic ingredients...

• Ground pork ( can use ground beef for lean taste)
• Spinach
• Salt and pepper
• Corn starch
• Flour
• Baking powder

Easy to make...

1. Cook spinach in boiling water for a minute till turn soft. Rinse with cold water and it will keep the fresh green color. Cut spinach few times to bite size.
2. Mix the meat, salt and pepper and a tablespoon of corn starch, like how you making meat balls. You can also add some soy sauce, chill pepper to your taste.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons corn starch, 2 tablespoons flour and 1 tsp of baking power with water (room temp.) to liquid like soup (not too thick).
4. Heat a cooking pan with thin layer of cooking oil. Scoop a table spoon full of spinach/meat mixture, dip in the flour mixture, then place on the cooking pan. After the bottom of the meatball cooked, turn to the other side, use back of spoon to flatten the meatballs like the picture below. Cook on medium heat till meat if fully cooked.

Serve as is or can dip with ranch dressing, ketchup or other dipping sauce as you like.

3-cups Chicken 三杯鸡

This is a very simple and easy way to make a tender and tasty chicken dish. 3-cups mean to use equal amount of soy sauce, sesame oil and Asian cooking wine (such as Mirin). You can use any dark meat, such as legs, wings, thighs or drumsticks. DO NOT add any water! That is the key to cook this chicken.

Simple ingredients:

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 2 green onion, cut into 1-inch long
• 1 Table spoon cooking oil, not much, just enough to brown the chicken
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup cooking wine (or Mirin)
• 1/2 cup sesame oil
• 2 Table spoons light brown sugar

Easy to make:

1. In a 1-quart pot, heat cooking oil on high. Add chicken and green onion. Brown all sides. 
2. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover with lid and turn the heat to medium-high. 
3. Turn occasionally to coat all sides of chicken with the sauce. 
4. After chicken pieces are cooked, turn to high to reduce the sauce. 

Serve with steamed white rice.

Golden Chicken Breast Balls

Another way to make tender chicken breast. A good snack for kids, too.

You will need:

• Chicken breast
• potatoes or sweet potatoes
• salt and ground pepper
• eggs
• Panko bread crumbs
• cooking oil for deep fry

Easy to make:

1. Boil, steam or microwave the skinless potatoes until soft. Mash the potatoes and seasoning with salt and pepper. Make potato balls like Ping Pong ball size.
2. Cut the chicken breast to thin slices. The thinner, the better. 
3. Wrap the thin chicken breast slices over the potato ball and cover all sides. 
4. Place a egg in a small bowl and beat the egg. 
5. Dip the ball into the egg, then roll into the Panko bread crumbs.
6. Deep fry the chicken potato balls in the preheated cooking oil until golden brown.

Serve with Ketchup, mayo, Ranch dressing or other dipping sauce as you prefer. 

Teriyaki Pork Jerky 蜜汁肉干

Adopted from http://www.sbar.com.cn/caipu/133291

This homemade meat jerky can be used pork or beef. It is easy to make, but need little more patient while baking. I cannot take pictures of my own jerky since my kitchen lights are broken, so I adopted these pictures. I change the original recipe a little, but turn out tasty and yummy!

Simple ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground pork or beef 
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp. cooking wine
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• pinch of salt and ground pepper
• extra honey for brush on

Easy to make:

1. Combine all ingredients, except meat and extra honey, mix all together. Then, add meat into the sauce, stir in one direction until well combined. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover the baking pan with foil for easy cleaning after baking. 
3. Place about 1/2 cup marinated meat on a sheet of plastic wrap and cover with another wrap on the top. Flatten with a rolling pin. Remove the thin meat sheet from the wraps and place on the baking pan.
4. Set oven on broil, baking for 10-15 minutes. Drain the extra liquid from the pan and turn the meat sheet on the other side. Brush with honey and bake another 5-10 minutes. Stay next to oven and keep close eyes to avoid burning. Then, turn the meat again and brush other side with honey, bake 5 more minutes. If you like more chewy, bake a little longer...but don't burn them :)

Easy Spicy Pasta

You may already have all these ingredients at home and just need to put them together to make this quick and delicious meal...leftover for lunch next day.

Simple ingredients:

• 6-8 oz. of any boxed pasta
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 cups of meat, such as sausage, chicken, ground beef, etc.(it's optional for vegetarian)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (10 oz.) Rotel Tomatoes and green chiles
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and ground pepper to your taste
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Easy to make:

1. Place cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add sliced sausage, garlic and onions and cook until lightly brown, smell the fragrant.
2. Add the whole can of tomatoes with the juice, milk, cream cheese, pea, salt and pepper, stir and mix. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium--low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle other 1/2 cup cheese on the top. let set until the cheese is melted.

Tender Grilled Chicken

You may tenderize the meat with Meat tenderizer, meat tenderizer powder, or baking soda. The BEST way that I recently tested is to add some coconut milk and marinate for overnight. You can use any kinds of your favorite marinate sauce. This is what I like and homemade easy!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. chicken tights, boneless and skinless (about 10-12 pcs.)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• some chopped green onion, minced garlic and ginger
• Hot pepper paste, if you like spicy

Easy to make:
Combine all ingredients together and storage in a covered container. Refrigerate and marinate at least over night. Grill them on a outdoor or indoor grill pan next day.

Turkey Meatballs with Spicy Coconut Sauce

This year, I try to find more healthy recipes, eat healthy and clean. When I think back in time, my grandparents lived until 92 years old. They never execise and took many vitamins. They did eat one egg and one glass of milk every morning. They eat rice and noodles with fresh vegetables and meat, they never eat canned food. They never suffered from diebate or high blood pressure. They didn't drink alchol and smoke. Here is one of the Eating Right Rule that I found on theironyou.com

I recently find out that eating low reactive food help me maintain weight, even lose weight. Here is another recipe that I put together with low reactive food. It's not like other no-taste diet food...it's delicious! I didn't measure all ingredents and just free to add any of your favorite amount to your taste.

You will need:

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 whole fresh garlic (good for your longevity), minced
• 6-8 shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 10 Turkey meatballs, pre-made and frozen
• 1 zucchini, cut into small cubes
• 1 Red bell pepper, cubed
• chick peas (optional)
• Seasonings to your taste: salt, ground black pepper, thai red curry or chill pepper paste

Easy to make:

1. In a medium sauce pan, place coconut milk and minced garlic together, bring to boil. Then turn the heat to medium.
2. Add mushrooms and meatballs to simmer until turn soft. Add right amound of seasonings to your taste (I like to add more chill pepper paste for spicy flavor).
3. Add zucchini and bell pepper at last since they are easy to cook.
4. Don't add too much salt so that you can serve without rice or starchy food.

Soy Sauce Chicken Wings 酱油鸡翅

These easy Asian style chicken wings are delicious with steamed white rice.

Simple ingredients:

• 2 lb. chicken wings
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 3 green onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

Easy to make:

1. Heat cooking oil in a large sauce pan on medium high, brown the chicken wings on both sides.
2. Add green onions, garlic, soy sauce and brown sugar. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the sauce is reduced and thicken.
3. Do NOT add any water while simmer.
4. Turn the wings occasionally to coat the sauce on both side.

Garlic Cubed Pork

Garlic can boost immune function by stimulating white blood cells. This then increases the antibody functions. As an antioxidant, garlic has been said to minimize free radicals in the blood. It can also be used to decrease blood pressure and balance out lipoprotein levels. Garlic has been popularly known to have compounds that serve as blood thinners. In Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, garlic can be used in topical form as a cream to eliminate acne, and as an antiaging product.

Simple ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (may use chicken too)
• 1/2 cup fresh garlic
• Salt, ground black pepper, cooking wine, cooking oil and sugar

Easy to make:

1. Marinate cubes pork with cooking wine, salt and ground pepper for at least 30 minutes.
2. Crush garlic in a small food processor, or with a knife.
3. Heat a medium saucepan with 2 Tbsp. cooking oil. Saute the garlic for about 1-2 minutes until garlic turn soft.
4. Add pork and stir fry to brown both sides. Add some soy sauce if you like dark brown color. Do NOT add any water during cooking. Sprinkle pinch of salt and sugar. Continue to stir and cook on high until the sauce is reduced and thicken.
5. Serve with steamed rice.

Sichuan Boiled Chicken 水煮肉

I found this delicious recipe from sbar.com and translate to English. I changed few ingredients so that you can find them in the grocery stores around you.

Step One:

• 1 lb. Chicken or pork, cut into thin slices
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp. cooking wine
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Marinate chicken with salt, cooking wine and cornstarch for at least 15 minutes.

Step Two:

• 1/2 of Chinese cabbage

Break the cabbage into small bite sizes. Cook in the boiled water until just turn soft. Drain the water and lay them on the bottom of a large bowl.

Step Three:

• 2 Tbsp. Chilli Black Bean sauce
• 1 small bottle of La-Yu (1.11 Fl oz.)
• 2 cups chicken broth or water
• Minced ginger, green onion, garlic
• Salt and ground pepper to your taste

Heat a medium saucepan on high, add La-Yu and black bean chilly sauce, then add ginger, onion and garlic. Saute about 3 minutes until onion and garlic turn soft. Add broth or water and bring to boil. Place marinate meat into the boiling sauce one piece at a time until all meat are cooked. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Pour the cooked meat with the sauce over the cabbage in the bowl. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Stir Fry Chicken Gizzards

Simple ingredients:

• Cooking oil
• Gizzards, cut into thin slices
• green onion, chopped
• fresh garlic, miced
• chill pepper (if you like spicy)
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
•  Vinegar
• Salt and black ground pepper

Easy to make:

• Heat cooking oil in a saucepan, saute green onion and garlic. add sliced gizzards and stir until just cooked. Add all above seasonings little at a time until the flavor that you perfer. Don't add any water. Cook on high until the sauce are reduce.

You may add your favorite vegetables, such as bell pepper, celery, carrots, mushroom, etc.

Easy Salty Chicken 咸水鸡

This is the most easiest Chicken that I have even made. It's not salty as you think...it's just right salty, tender and tasty.

Simple ingredients:

• 2 large boneless chicken thighs
• Fresh ginger
• Salt

Easy to make:

1. In a large pot, fill the water over the chicken and bring to boil. Add a chunk piece of fresh ginger (about 1-2 Tbsp. size), cook on high for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep the cover on the pot. Let the remain heat continue to cook for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken from the pot, pat with paper towels to dry the chicken. While chicken still warm, generously sprinkle salt on both sides of the chicken. Storage in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours. (The longer, the better)
3. Before serving, lay few sliced fresh ginger on the bottom of a microwaveable plate, then place sliced chicken on the top of the ginger. Microwave with cover for 2 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

Drunk Chicken 花雕醉鸡

Here is another Chinese cold chicken recipe and easy to make. The cooking wine I used is called Shaoxing Hua Tiao cooking wine, and it can be purchased from Asian grocery stores. You may also use it for other meat dishes to take away the meaty taste and make your dish delicious.

You will need...

• 2 large boneless thighs (or whole chicken, it will take longer to cook)
• ginger and green onions for boil the chicken
• pinch of salt to your taste
• Hua Tiao 花雕 cooking wine
• Fish sauce

Easy to make:

1. Prepare the chicken like in my La-Yu chicken recipe.
2. Mix cooking wine and fish sauce with 2:1 ratio, and have enough liquid over the chicken. Add a pinch of salt. Soak the chicken for at least 12 hours to 24 hours. Slice before serving and serve cold.

La-Yu Chicken 口水鸡

This is a Chinese Sichun Style spicy chicken. I made this easy version and they taste like spicy & sour chicken...very tasty, but not very spicy hot. Serve cold and enjoy!

Simple ingredients:

• 2 Boneless chicken thighs (with skin)
• 2 Tbsp. La-Yu (chili oil, can be purchased in Asian grocery section)
• 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 chopped green onion
• 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
• 2 gloves chopped garlic
• some chopped roasted peanuts
• Pinch of salt to your taste

Easy to make:

1. Boil chicken thighs in a large pot with few slices of ginger and 1 green onion for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken thighs set in the hot pot for another 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of cold water with some ice cubes. Place the whole chicken thighs in the ice cold water. This will make the chicken tender.
3. After chicken cool completely, remove from the water and rub with sesame oil on the skin side. Set aside while preparing the sauce.
4. Combine green onion, ginger, garlic, La Yu, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar together in a small mixing bowl. Mix well with a spoon. Add pinch of salt to your taste.
5. Cut the chicken thighs into slices. Sprinkle chopped peanuts and pour the La Yu mixture over the chicken. Serve cold.

Easy Ham & Cheese Rolls

This easy making rolls are made from pizza dough and delicious. You may use store bought frozen pizza dough, or simple make your own fresh pizza dough (see recipe below). You may also use any your favorite shredded cheese or leftovers from your refrigerator. You may use the egg wash (egg mixed with water) to brush to top, but garlic butter gives more flavor.

For easy Pizza Dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 2 tsp. active yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. cooking oil or olive oil
• 1 cup hot water (not boiling water)

Combine all dough ingredients together in a stand mixer. Mix with the dough attachment and knead to a smooth dough. Cover and place at a warm location in your kitchen, rest at least 30 minutes or until the dough size is doubled.

For Rolls, you will need:

• cooking oil or olive oil
• 2 cups shredded chedder or sharp cheese (or other kinds of cheese)
• Thin sliced ham (for sandwiches or lunch meat)
• 2 Tbsp. garlic spread, melted (or garlic butter)

Divide the pizza dough in two equal pieces. Flatten one dough with a rolling pin into a 10-inch square. Brush with cooking oil, sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese evenly, lay sliced ham over the cheese and roll. Then cut into 8 pieces.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line parchment paper on cooking sheet pan. Place rolls 1-inch apart on the pan, brush with garlic spread. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot for best taste.

Extra...
You can use the same dough to make pig in-a-blanket. Just roll a small piece dough into a stick, then wrap around a hot dog or a Lit'l sausage. Brush with garlic butter or egg wash. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Salad Dressing Chicken

This is a simple and easy East-meet-West recipe. Using salad dressing to marinate chicken, it makes the chicken so tender and juicy. I used Sweet Vidalia Onion salad dressing here. You may substitute with any other salad dressing that you have in our refrigerator. I also didn't measure all seasonings by spoons, just feel free to add little at a time until you like the taste. They may taste sweeter by adding more sugar, or spicy by adding some hot pepper, or dark brown color by adding more dark soy sauce, etc...everyone may create your unique taste...and that's fun part of cooking!
Here is what I did...

Simple ingredients:

• 4 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• Sweet Vidalia Onion salad dressing, enough to marinate (about 2-3 Tbsp.)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Soy sauce

Easy to make:

1. In a medium bowl, combine chicken piece, salad dressing, pinch of salt and ground pepper together. (Chopped ginger, onion, garlic and cooking wine are optional). Marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Remove from the refrigerator, add corn starch and flour, mix until all chicken pieces are coated.
3. In a wok or large saucepan, heat cooking oil on medium high, add chicken and brown all sides until chicken are fully cooked. Then add equal amount of soy sauce and sugar, stir fry until sauce well blend. Sprinkle pinch of salt if necessary. Serve with steamed rice.

Leftover Chicken Makeover

Sometimes I have leftover chicken from a Rotisserie Chicken or turkey from a holiday. These are the easy ways to give your leftover chicken a makeover next day and looking fresh again.

For the meat:

Pull the meat apart from the bones with your hands. Place them in a large bowl. Then, add some...diced

• green onions
• cilantro
• garlic
• ginger

pinch of salt and ground black pepper

drizzle sesame oil and vinegar...and ready to serve...with rice, with noddles, on salad, or make a sandwich.

For the bones:

Add some water with the bones, boil on the stove or cook in the microwave until soup turns to creamy white color. Add pinch of salt and ground black pepper, green onion, ginger and cilantro. Serve hot or warm.

Microwave Pulled Chicken 微波炉盐焗鸡

No need to bake over hours to make this Chinese style pulled chicken. The Baked-salt seasoning may be purchased at any Chinese grocery stores and it will give your chicken a special flavor. If you can't find them, you may try to use salt, ground pepper and ground rosemary instead.

Simple ingredients:

• 2 Chicken thighs (or breasts for lean cooking)
• Cooking wine
• Salt and ground pepper
• Green onion, diced
• Ginger, diced
• Garlic, diced
• Cilantro, diced
• Baked-salt seasoning
• cooking oil
• sesame oil
• Optional: carrot, shredded

Easy to make:

1. Marinate chicken pieces with salt, ground pepper and cooking wine for at least one hour in a microwaveable bowl.
2. Add some water just over the chicken. Microwave on high 5 minutes at a time, turn and cook another 5 minutes. Repeat until chicken is fully cooked.
3. Place ice cubes and water in another bowl. Place cooked chicken into the ice cold water to cool the chicken immediately. After chicken is cooled completely, pull chicken apart by hands into shredded pieces. Shred chicken skin with a knife.
4. Spoon the proper amount of Baked-salt dressing over the shredded chicken and mix with a fork or spoon. Ready to eat. Serve warm or cold.

Baked-Salt dressing:

• Place diced green onions, ginger, garlic, cilantro and some baked-salt seasoning in a heat-resistant bowl (such as ramekin). Heat the cooking oil on the stove until hot, spoon into the bowl just over other seasonings. Stir and mix, drizzle some sesame oil.

PS.

• Don't waste the soup from the chicken...just add some green leafy veggies, tofu, Goji and little Baked-salt dressing...You just make yourself a bowl of delicious soup!
• Also, you may fill the pulled chicken in between of Lotus Leaf Buns as finger food for your parties.

Microwave BBQ Chicken

No charcoals, no messy, no smoke and less to clean...taste yummy and tender!

Simple ingredients:

• 4 large chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup cooking wine
• 1/2 cup Korean BBQ sauce for Kalbi
• pinch of salt
• Honey for coating

Easy to make:

1. Marinate chicken thighs with cooking win, BBQ sauce and salt for at least one hour (overnight will be better).
2. Remove chicken from the sauce and place in a microwaveable pan, skin side down 1st. Cook 4 minutes on high without cover. Then, turn to the other side and cook another 4 minutes. Pour out the extra liquid in the pan.
3. Brush honey over the skin sides, and cook for 2 minutes at time.
4. Repeat step 3 couple more times until chicken fully cooked and turn golden brown.

MIcrowave Short Ribs 微波炉排骨

Microwave cooking is quick, using less oil and tender. It's important to choose a think and strong microwaveable pan when you cook more than 4 minutes at a time. If you use high watts microwave, you will need to reduce cooking time. Marinate sauces may be chosen from any of your favorite ones. I uses Teriyaki sauce with glaze of honey at the end.

Simple ingredients:

• 2 lb. short ribs, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cooking wine
• Some chopped green onions, fresh ginger and garlic, salt and ground black pepper to your taste

Easy to make:

1. Mix all ingredients together and marinate at least one hour.
2. Layer marinated short ribs in a microwaveable pan (one layer at a time). Place in microwave and cook on high for 4 minutes. Then, turn to the other side, cook another 4 minutes. After that, turn again and cook 2 minutes at a time, twice. Ribs should be cooked if not too thick. Cook additional 2 minutes if not cooked.
3. Remove the ribs in a dinner plate. Add 2 Tbsp. honey into the remain sauce in the pan, microwave 1 minute to thicker the sauce. Pour over the short ribs to give it honey flavor and glaze of shine.